Searching for a needle in a haystack

Agriculture is constantly facing new challenges. As soon as existing solutions lose their effectiveness, the call goes out for new ones. The crop protection industry is therefore already researching innovations for tomorrow's challenges. It must now assess what will be needed in ten to 15 years. Safety and environmental compatibility play a central role in the search for active ingredients and the development of new crop protection products.

The development of a new product for pest control begins with the search for promising active substances – a process that is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Biochemists and scientists often examine more than 150,000 potentially effective molecules or molecular compounds before a single product is launched on the market many years later. The researchers do not proceed arbitrarily, but follow a clearly structured design process. They use the latest 3D modelling programmes, which make it possible to design molecule structures with a precise fit on the computer. Based on the models projected on the computer, the most promising active substances are synthesised, i.e. produced in the laboratory.

The synthesised substances undergo numerous tests for efficacy and side effects – first in the laboratory and then in the greenhouse on the crops. From the outset, the potential effects on humans, animals and the environment are given the highest priority. At the same time, tests are carried out to determine whether the active ingredient is actually effective in the intended application. Each time a test system is passed, many substances are rejected because they do not meet the high requirements. Only a handful of the 30,000 to 40,000 substances originally synthesised ultimately make it to the field trials.

The formulation makes the remedy

Pour les quelques substances qui ont passé tous les tests avec succès, les chimistes et les analystes cherchent une formulation appropriée. En effet, la substance seule n'est pas encore un produit phytosanitaire. La substance active pure n'est généralement pas applicable et n'agit pas suffisamment. Pour cela, il faut la bonne formule, appelée formulation. Promising active ingredients are combined with formulation adjuvants. These additives influence how well a drop adheres to the leaf, how it is distributed and how it penetrates the wax layer of the leaves and enters the plant. A good formulation is the basis for the precise application of pesticides – and thus an essential component of digital farming. This first phase of manufacturing a new crop protection product is the most cost-intensive, costing an average of 64 million US dollars per new product.

The new formulation must then prove itself in further field trials. These cost around 58 million US dollars and serve not only to optimise the effectiveness of the product, but also to obtain a great deal of environmental data necessary for registration. The actual approval process then costs an additional 42 million US dollars on average – more than three times as much as in 1995. A large part of these costs is incurred by preparing the extensive registration dossier for the regulatory authorities.

Approval – a mammoth task

Before a new plant protection product can be launched on the market, it must be authorised by the relevant state authorities – in Switzerland, this is the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). An authorisation is only granted for products whose origin, composition, use, efficacy and toxicological, ecotoxicological and environmental properties have been tested by the manufacturer in accordance with the FSVO criteria.

The registration and authorisation work runs in parallel with the development of a new plant protection product. Manufacturers conduct over 100 extensive scientific studies according to international quality criteria. These studies are submitted to the FSVO together with the registration dossier. The scientific assessment is carried out in collaboration with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the FOAG and the Agroscope research institute. Only when it has been established that the new plant protection product has no unacceptable side effects on humans, animals or the environment when used as directed is it authorised and may be placed on the market.

As a result of extensive research and the stringent approval procedure, plant protection products are among the most thoroughly studied chemical substances. Each new active plant protection substance must undergo a series of tests and controls that last for years. The aim of the research is not only to develop new plant protection products, but also to minimise undesirable side effects. This is to benefit agriculture and consumers worldwide.

Due to the elaborate research process and the demanding authorisation procedures, plant protection products are among the most thoroughly tested chemical substances. Each new active plant protection ingredient must undergo years of testing and trials. The aim of research, in addition to developing new products, is above all to minimise undesirable side effects. Over time, crop protection products have become safer and safer for humans and the environment. Acute toxicity has decreased by 40 per cent since the 1960s.

This benefits agriculture and consumers worldwide.